Beschreibung:

Title: The Birds of America, from Drawings Made in the United States and Their Territories [with] The Quadrupeds of North America Author: Audubon, John James and John Bachman Place: New York Publisher: V[ictor] G[ifford] Audubon Date: 1854-56 Description: 10 volumes comprising: The Birds of America. 7 volumes. 500 hand-colored lithograph plates. * The Quadrupeds of North America. 3 volumes. 155 hand-colored lithograph plates. (Royal Octavo) 26.5x18 cm. (10½x7"), original matching full publisher's blindstamped brown morocco, spines lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Second Octavo Edition. A beautiful matching set of Audubon's two classic natural history works. The Birds of America, is a landmark ornithological work and perhaps the most important American color-plate book of the 19th century. The plates for this edition were reduced and modified from the original Havell engravings for the double-elephant folio. The images were reduced by camera lucida and some of the backgrounds entirely changed or greatly modified. To the original plate count included in the double-elephant folio edition, the octavo edition adds 65 new images for a total of 500 plates, making it "the most extensive color plate book produced in America up to that time" (Reese). The Quadrupeds of North America was a collaboration between the elder Audubon and his sons, John Woodhouse and Victor Gifford, along with the Lutheran minister, John Bachman. They traveled through much newly explored territory, illustrating many species that are scarce or endangered today. The two works today are highly desirable, matching sets such as the present are somewhat scarce. Bookplate of Seymour Cunningham of Litchfield, Connecticut in each volume, pasted atop another unknown bookplate in most. Prospectus from publisher George R. Lockwood for the pair of works in both the octavo and folio formats laid in as well as a list of the works of John James Audubon available from C.S. Francis & Co., a second copy of the Francis list is mounted to the inside of the front cover of Volume 1 of the Birds. Lot Amendments Condition: Spines darkened, some rubbing to joints, a few small scuffs to leather, four volumes with hinges reinforced, a few other hinges starting; some browning and foxing at front and rear of volumes; all tissue guards present, plates largely brightly colored and free of foxing; internally near fine, bindings very good or better. Item number: 228824